UN chief warns of setbacks in tackling Ebola

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has applauded the progress made in fighting Ebola but warned of possible setbacks in case of lapse in vigilance. He praised Liberia which was recently declared Ebola-free on May 9, after 42 days with no cases. The Secretary General stressed that engagement and active surveillance are essential to tackle the disease and urged the general assembly to continue lending its political weight to the effort to fight Ebola and donors to continue their contributions.

I applaud Liberia on reaching this milestone – but we cannot celebrate yet. As long as there are Ebola cases in any country in the region, all countries are at risk.

Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary-General

According to Ban, the UN system will work with national governments and regional partners to ensure that all investments in fighting Ebola serve as the basis for carrying out longer-term recovery and for strengthening national health systems. Ban said he would convene an International Ebola Recovery Conference on July 10 with the purpose of addressing issues related to the fight on Ebola and helping mobilise the resources needed to start early recovery.

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